Method of drying air.



J. GAYLEY.

v METHOD QF DRYING AIR. APPLICATION rnnn MAY 13, 1909.

Patented se ta; 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. AuhN ehN OOIIII J. GAYLEY. METHOD OF DRYING AIR. ABPLIIUATION IILED MAY18,1909.

1,002,578, Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- UNITED STATES PATENT ornicn.

JAMES GAYLEY, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF DRYING AIR.

Application filed May 13,

Specification of Letters Patent.

New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Drying Air, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this, specification, in which Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is-a detail view of the pipe connections between the towers.

-My inventiontrelatesto the drying of air, particularly for use in connection with the air blast supplied to blast furnaces, converters, etc., in metallurgical work.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved methodof refrigeration which will act economically and efficiently without the use of pipes or channels through which artificially cooled fluid is circulated.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a cooling system in stages, preferably two stages in both of which stages the air is sub jected to the direct action of a cooling liquid. The=air is preferably forced into the'ilowe'r portion of the cooling tower in the first.

stage, passes upwardly through the tower in the o posite direction to a spray or rain of liquid preferably artificially cooled water, and then passes out at the top and is fed. preferably by an intermediate blower into a second somewhat similar apparatus, in which the moisture is still further reduced, and from which the dried air passes to the blowing engine, and thence to the point of use.' I preferably employ a non-congealable liquid, such as cold brine, in the second chamber, in order to produce a lower temperature of the air than in the first chamber or stage. The water in the first chamber is preferably cooled toa temperature of about 35 F., this acting to cool the air to about-l0? C1, the larger part of the moisture being removed so that the air will enter the second stage witha substantially uniform content of moisture; and in the second stage it is reduced to or below zero degrees C. by the sprays of cold; brine or other non-congealable refrigeratingliquid. I also preferably arrange the charm bers so that during the periods when the moisture of the air is relatively low, the first chamber may be cut out and the air fed directly to the second chamber.

The cooling of the water for the cooling tower is preferably carried out by means. of an ammonia condenser which will require comparatively small energy, owing to the small degree of cooling this resulting in a .high back pressure under which the compressor will work economically. The refrigerating capacity of an ammonia compressor depends upon the number of pounds of gas it .will handle in a given unit oftime. The weight of ammonia gas handled depends upon the efliciency of the compressor and upon the suction pressure at which the gas is delivered into the compressor. Since the weight of ammonia gas varies approximately with the absolute pressure, it follows that the refrigerating capacity of an ammonia compressor workin under a suction pressure of thirty pounds W111 beabout fifty per cent. greater than one working under fifteen poun s'gage pressure. Thisammonia compressor cooling the water down to thirty- ;three degrees F., will work at about forty five pounds back pressure when cooling water from 80 to 33 F.,' so it will work under very economical conditions. The air will leave the cooling tower at about 40 F., and-with three grains per cubic foot or less moisture.

In the drawings, 2 represents the first cooling tower which I have shown as d1- vided into four chambers 3, each provided -with an external air duct 4, of sheet metal -or other suitable material. The upper end "of; this duct 4 is open and preferably protected by a spaced apart roof 5. These ducts are of considerable length and I preferably arrange spray devices 6 in their upper por- .tion to which water is supplied through pipes 7. This spray will filter away the coarser lmpurities of the air andalso cool it minate in catch basins 8, where the dirty water is collected and led tothe sewer.

The lowerortions of the ducts open into .the lower en 8 of the chambers 3,-and the ports are preferably rovided with fans 9,

which will force the-air from the ducts into the cooling chambers. against the resistance somewhat. 'The-lower ends of the ducts terof the sprays in the chambers, of which I have shown four, formed by the parti-' tions 10. a

I preferably arrange inclined bafile plates 11 at the lower ends of the cooling chambers opposite to the fans to deflect the air upwardly-and as the air rises, it is preferably split up by grids or grate-work which I have shown as consisting of round wooden poles 12, which are impregnated to resist the rotting action ofthe water, though any suitable arrangement of baffle plates may be used. The function of these baflies isto give the largest possible contact between the up-going air and the downwardly trickling water or brine, as shown. At the top of the tower, the air is led through pipe 13, to fans 14, through branch pipes 15, and thence to thesecond cooling tower 2 The branch pipes 15 are, as shown in Fig. 3, provided with valves 17 whereby the. cooling tower ma be shut. off from the refrigerating bui ding fans, and through valves 18, opened to allow the outside air to pass directly to these fans 14. x

The water for the cooling tower is shown 2 as being lifted by a pump 19, through pipe 20, to the top of the tower, and through a series of pipes 21, which are split longitudinally, from which it overflows evenly over the coils 22, carrying the ammonia at a lowtemperature which cools the water to just.

above the freezing point. I The overflowing water collects in a tank 23, which forms the crosspartition between the air chambers and the ammonia loft and in which a constant water level is maintained slightly below the coils. The bottom of the tank is corrugated, as shown at 24, and from these corrugations the water is fed through. a large number ofpipes 25, to open troughs 26. The use of the corrugated bottom of the tank and the long pipes leading from it to the troiighs is especially etficlent in cooling the air. An air space must be left between the tank'and the-grating tov allow the unimpeded passage of the air to the out let pipe 13, as a mist or waterspray in this space would hinder the air. passage. The. use of the pipes from the tank to the trough do not clog up or interfere'with the air passage, but as they contain very cold water and are arranged in zig-zag or staggered form, the air comes into intimate contact with them and is effectually cooled.

As before stated, the grate-work or bafil plates and air chambers split up the de overflows uniformly from tlopen troughs and is split up by the grate-work and evenly distributed. This water is collected at the This overflow water being ver bottom of the tower in ditches 27, and is drawn from these ditches by pi cs 27 leading to pump 19, which again li ts the water to the top of the cooling tower. The water is thus used over and over again, thus giving a gain in efliciency, owing to the low temperature of the water collected at the bottom of the chamber. \lA pipe connection 28 to the pumps is used for starting. As the water trickling down the grate-work removes a majority of the moisture in the air, the water is augmented in am unt, and to keep the water level in the upper tank constant, it is provided with pipe connections to take away the overflow, this being preferably directed to the sprays 6, in the inlet ducts.

cold, increases the effective working 0 these preliminary sprays.

Referring to the second cooling tower 2 this is generally similar to the first,-and similar parts are designated by similar numeralswith the letter a applied. In the second tower, the brine or other non-congealable liquid will serve to cool the air to below zero-degrees (7., the bring being returned for use and cooled in the same manner as the water of the first tower.

The advantages --of m invention result from doing away with re rigerating systems where the air passes over cooling pipes and reducing the air to-the desired temperature, I

by direct contact with cooling liqu1ds.- By

providing the preliminary cooling chambers, the workof the second tower may be made substantially uniform and continuous throughout the year. When desired, the firstcooling tower may be cut.- out as in the winter months, and air led direct to the sec; ond to'wer, or cooling chambers may be used in part, as desired.

Many changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the apparatus, without departing from my inventlon.

I claim:

. 1'. The method of drying air for metallurgical purposes, which consists in passing it upwardly through a chamber and subjecting it therein to the direct action of a descending shower or spray of artificially cooled congealable liquid, refrigerating said liquid out of, contact with the air being treated, thereafter passing the air upwardly through another chamber or compartment subjectin it therein to the direct action of an artificially cooled non-congealable liquid and reducing its temperature to or below zero degrees, and then feeding the dried air ta a metallurgical apparatus, substantially as described. 1

2. The method of drying air for metallurgical plurposes, which consists in passing it upwar ly throu h ing ittherein to file direct action of 'a'descending shower or spray of artificially a chamber and subjectcooled congealable liquid, refrigerating said liquid out of contact with the air being treated, thereafter passing the air upwardly through another chamber or compartment, subjecting it therein to the direct action of an artificially cooled non-congealable liquid and reducing its temperature to or below zero degrees (3., and then passing the air to a blowing engine and thence to a metallurgical apparatus, substantially as described.

3. The method of drying air, consisting in assing it upwardly through a chamber, subecting it therein to the direct action of a descending shower or spray of artificially cooled congealable liquid, and thereafter passing the air upwardly through another chamber and subjecting it therein to the direct action of an artificially cooled noncongealable liquid, and refrigerating both of said liquids while out of contact with the air being treated, substantially as described.

4. The method of drying air for metallurgical purposes, consisting in passing it upwardly through a chamber and subjecting it therein to the direct action of a descending shower or spray of an artificially cooled congealable liquid, refrigerating said liquid out of contact with the air being treated, thereafter passing said air upwardly through another chamber or compartment and subjecting it therein to the direct action of a descending shower or spray of an artificially cooled non-c'ongealable liquid, thereby reducing the moisture to below two and onehalfgrains er cubic foot, and then passingv the air to a lowing engine and thence to a metallurgical apparatus, substantially as described.

5. The method of drying air for metallurgical purposes, which consists in bringing the air into direct contact with successively cooler liquids in a series of steps, refrigerat-. in one of said liquids while out of contact wlth the air being treated, and passing the cooled air to a blowing engine and thence to a metallurgical apparatus, substantially as I described. a

6. The method of drying air for metallurgical purposes, which consists in passing it upwardly through a chamber and subjecting it therein to the direct action of a down wardly descending shower or spray of-an artificially cooled non-congealable liquid and thereby reducing it to or below zero degrees (1, refrigerating said liquid while out of contact with the air being treated, and passing the air to a blowing engine, and thence to a metallurgical apparatus, substantially as described.

7-. The method-0f drying air for metallurgical purposes, which consists in first spraying the air and then passing it upwardly through a chamber and subjecting it therein to the direct action of a descending shower or spray of artificially cooled con- .gealable liquid, refrigerating said liquid out of contact with the air being treated, thereafter passing the air upwardly through another chamber or compartment and subjecting it therein to the direct action of an artificially cooled non-congealable liquid, and then feeding the dried air to a metallurgical apparatus, substantially as described.

8. The method of drying-air, consisting in passing it through successive chambers, subecting it in said chambers to the direct ac-- tion .of successively cooler artificially cooled liquids, refrigerating said liquids while out of contact with the air being treated, and feeding the dried air to a metallurgical apparatus, substantially as described.

, In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES GAYLEY.

Witnesses:

W. S. REED, EUGENE H. MURPHY. 

